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Huddersfield Town suffered a 20th Premier League defeat in 27 outings and look to be hurtling towards the drop.

It was a fourth successive defeat for new boss Jan Siewert as Newcastle took three points with goals from Salomon Rondon and Ayoze Perez at a St James' Park ground packed with 52,174 fans, most of them jubilant Geordies.

The 20th-minute sending-off of Town skipper Tommy Smith proved pivotal and the head coach had to rejig after a positive start, but by the end Town looked a broken team - confidence shattered - and the misery of 13 defeats in 14 league games is weighing heavily on their shoulders.

Thankfully Wolves are next up on Tuesday night, so they don't have to dwell long on this result, but in truth Town have only pride left to play for.

They don't want to finish the season as the lowest ever scorers in the Premier League (20), and they still need a point to avoid having the joint worst record.

Smith will serve a three-match ban to compound his frustration.

Siewert made three changes to his starting line-up with the shock being in-form Adama Diakhaby missing out because of a hamstring injury suffered in training.

Jonas Lossl, as expected, returned after illness to replace Ben Hamer in goal, while Chris Lowe and Laurent Depoitre were selected in place of Terence Kongolo and Diakhaby.

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Town, looking for a first win in 14 Premier League starts, had Jonathan Hogg making his 300th career appearance alongside Aaron Mooy and Juninho Bacuna in midfield, with Christopher Schindler and Mathias Jorgensen at the heart of defence, alongside full-backs Tommy Smith and Lowe.

Jason Puncheon and Elias Kachunga, who had recovered from a flu bug, were joined in attack by Depoitre in a 4-3-3 formation.

Erik Durm missed taking a place on the bench due to a slight hip problem which is not expected to rule him out against Wolves on Tuesday night.

Newcastle, captained by Jamaal Lascelles, gave a first start to new Paraguayan strike signing Miguel Almiron.

The former Atlanta United player was playing just off Salomon Rondon and alongside Ayoze Perez. giving them a trio of Spanish speakers up front in what was essentially a 3-4-3 formation.

Siewert was immediately out of the technical area to encourage his side in the opening moments.

And Newcastle were under pressure when Smith collected a pass from Puncheon and drilled a low cross which Fabian Schar managed to clear from in front of Depoitre.

Huddersfield Town's Jonas Lossi kicks the ball away in frustration after Newcastle United score their second goal. Picture by John Rushworth

Town, however, had a lucky escape on 11 minutes when they were opened up by Almiron on the break. His chipped shot rebounded off Lossl's right hand post and then, with Town struggling to recover, Salomon Rondon hit the same upright with the follow-up shot.

Lossle produced a terrific diving save to deny Rondon with 19 minutes gone and then, in the following Newcastle attack, Tommy Smith clattered into Almiron and saw a straight red card from referee Kevin Friend.

Town rejigged by sending on Flo Hadergjonaj for Puncheon, but Newcastle turned up the pressure, with Lossl again forced to save from Almiron, before Lowe cleared from near the line when the big Dane let a shot from the Paraguayan slip through his grasp.

Sewert's side dug in against quick-breaking Newcastle and put in some brave defensive stints, summed up by Schindler's brilliant block to deny Sean Longstaff's shot five minutes before the break.

Then Lossl made another breathtaking stop to deny Perez, tipping his rasping drive from close range over the top.#

It was tremendous stuff, although Rondon should have put the home side ahead on the stroke of half time with a diving header from Longstaff's right-wing cross, but he directed it wide.

Unfortunately for Town, they were caught cold right at the start of the second half, defending sloppily as Newcastle worked the ball into the area and Rondon swept home a low right-foot drive from six yards.

There was to be no let-up from the home side and, five minutes later, they were two up through Perez, who hammered home following a build-up involving Almiron, Yedlin and Rondon.

Town sent on Billing while Newcastle went for Kenedy, and it remained one-way traffic.

Perez should have scored when scuffing wide from a good position on 71 minutes and then Lossl made another sensational save to deny Kenedy's close-range volley, somehow sending the ball crashing against the bar.

Town, who sent on Steve Mounie for Depoitre, were lucky when a Longstaff drive rattled off the woodwork yet again with 15 minutes left, and there was a standing ovation for Almiron when he was withdrawn 10 minutes from time.

It was similar when Rondon waved his goodbyes six minutes from time, by which time Town were well and truly beaten.